Fit-again South African AB de Villiers was pleasantly surprised to discover he has lost none of his touch after the batsman blasted a swashbuckling 89 not out in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match on Monday.
The 33-year-old, who has taken a break from tests to manage his workload, missed the final of South Africa’s domestic 50-overs tournament with a back injury, which also kept him out of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s IPL opener against Delhi.
There was no sign of any rust, however, as the player celebrated for his "360 degree" batting prowess clobbered nine sixes and three fours in a 46-ball blitz against the Kings XI Punjab at Indore's Holkar Cricket Stadium.
His brilliant innings helped a slow-starting Bangalore set a competitive 148 for four total but the hosts proved too strong in their reply, easing to an eight-wicket victory with 33 balls to spare.
“I did surprise myself and played a few good shots,” De Villiers, who was wearing a microphone, told the commentary team while he was fielding, admitting he had periods of uncertainty during the layoff.
“It’s not like you become a bad player overnight, the rustiness is more self-doubt,” he added.
A couple of his sixes sailed out of the stadium and such was his timing that even when he charged a Mohit Sharma delivery which turned out wider than he had assumed, De Villiers made a late adjustment to send it over the long-off boundary.
Yuvraj Singh, no mean six-hitter himself, tweeted his congratulations to De Villiers:
Sunrisers Hyderabad captain David Warner also doffed his hat at the South African, calling him “best in the business” while many of de Villiers’ compatriots hailed the knock.
“If I was a commentator I’d do a mic drop and enjoy the show ... No words can describe @ABdeVilliers17 ... wow!” Proteas paceman Morne Morkel tweeted.
*Reuters
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
KEY%20DATES%20IN%20AMAZON'S%20HISTORY
The specs: 2017 Lotus Evora Sport 410
Price, base / as tested Dh395,000 / Dh420,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 410hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 420Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.7L / 100km
School uniforms report
Our commentary on Brexit
- Con Coughlin: Choice of the British people will be vindicated
- Sam Williams: Departure is influenced by its sense of place
Reputation
Taylor Swift
(Big Machine Records)
Biog:
Age: 34
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite sport: anything extreme
Favourite person: Muhammad Ali
Formula One top 10 drivers' standings after Japan
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 306
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 234
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 192
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 148
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 111
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 82
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 65
9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 48
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 34
RESULTS
6.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1.600m
Winner: Miller’s House, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Kanood, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Gervais, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Important Mission, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Firnas, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Zhou Storm, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
The%20specs
Background
The Library: A Catalogue of Wonders
Stuart Kells, Counterpoint Press
THE%20HOLDOVERS
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Forced%20Deportations
Violence%20
The British in India: Three Centuries of Ambition and Experience
by David Gilmour
Allen Lane
While you're here
Chitrabhanu Kadalayil: Singapore election is more than just a family feud over LKY's legacy
Sholto Byrnes: Robert Mugabe and Lee Kuan Yew: two leaders with very different legacies
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: UAE and Singapore can be partners for a world in transition
Nick March: Singapore and UAE are on the move – in airport development
RESULT
Bayern Munich 5 Eintrracht Frankfurt 2
Bayern: Goretzka (17'), Müller (41'), Lewandowski (46'), Davies (61'), Hinteregger (74' og)
Frankfurt: Hinteregger (52', 55')
DAY%20ONE%20RESULT
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Mina Al-Oraibi: Suleimani death casts a long shadow over decade ahead
Khaled Yacoub Oweis: Hezbollah bids to control Lebanon’s financial system
National Editorial: Hezbollah's murky dealings in Iraq have been unveiled
